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A study conducted at five dining facilities at Fort Bragg, N.C., found that using color-coded "Go for Green" nutrition cards and offering a healthier menu that included a lean-meat or vegetarian entree led to significant nutritional improvements and a reduction in fat intake among soldiers, Army researchers said. Data for the study, which was published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, was collected through surveys and digital photography of dinner plates before and after meals.

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A Royal Society for Public Health proposal published in The BMJ calls for developing "activity equivalent" labels that tell people how many minutes of exercise, including walking and jogging, they would have to do to burn off the calories in a given food item. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokeswoman Sara Haas said the idea is good in theory because it may motivate people to make healthier choices, but it also could promote a more calorie-centric view of food.

Registered dietitians have important roles in the battle against obesity and diabetes, through counseling patients about the best weight-loss or weight-maintenance strategies and educating them about diets that promote glycemic control. RD Glenna McCollum, president of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, said when the AMA recognized obesity as a disease, it created a sense of urgency that should help people get treatment and access dietitians.

North Carolina State University nutritionist Lisa Eberhart uses small changes, or "stealth health," to create healthier menus, such as switching to lower-fat milk and wheat bread and using turkey instead of beef for meatballs. She created a nutrition-information database for every menu item that students can access from their mobile devices and opened "worry free" zones that offer gluten-free and vegan foods.

Older patients with diabetes may not exhibit the same symptoms as other patients and also face complicating factors, such as dementia, dental problems, social isolation and financial issues, that affect diet and medication compliance, registered dietitians said. RD Joan Hill said a simple approach, such as a food-group meal-planning technique, may be best for counseling elderly patients about diabetes. She recommends limiting discussions to one or two topics per visit and writing out instructions in larger print.

University of Texas researchers say 97% of Head Start preschool teachers missed at least two out of five questions in a nutrition quiz, according to a study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The lead researcher said teachers need nutrition training and work-site wellness programs to make the preschool environment healthier.